Boyata: Fans can roar us into the UEFA Europa League last 32

DEDRYCK Boyata expects Paradise to be at its most magical tonight as Celtic face his hometown side, Anderlecht, who stand between the Hoops and their goal of securing European football after Christmas.

The Belgian internationalist’s first experience of a UEFA Champions League group-stage match in Paradise came earlier this season against Bayern Munich and it's something he will never forget.

But with a place in the last 32 of the UEFA Europa League within their grasp, the Celtic defender anticipates that the best fans in the world will be at their most vocal tonight and believes the atmosphere will help drive the team towards their next objective of the season.

“We are expecting the fans to be right behind us,” Boyata told the matchday programme in an exclusive interview. “They’ve always helped us when we needed them and the team know that will be the same when we meet Anderlecht.

“With the expectations around this game, I’m expecting the fans to be very loud and the atmosphere to be even better than it has been already this season. It makes a big difference when we have the backing of the fans.

“The atmosphere for the Bayern Munich game was special and playing in those kinds of games is something every footballer strives for. We weren’t able to get a result, though, so we want to make up for that tonight and we’ll give everything we have to do that.”

Read the full and exclusive interview with Dedryck Boyata ONLY in the official match programme for the Celtic v Anderlecht game. On sale in the Superstore and outside the stadium ahead of the match.